


Jaegermas

by BaronVonChop



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Pacific Rim Secret Santa, Pacific Rim Secret Santa 2014, Shatterdome Family, Shatterdome Shenanigans, holiday celebration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 12:48:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2851328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mako Mori introduces Sasha and Aleksis Kaidanovsky to the PPDC holiday celebration, Jaegermas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jaegermas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ExplodingHye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExplodingHye/gifts).



> This was part of my Pacific Rim Secret Santa 2014 gift for explodinghye! The prompt included "shatterdome shenanigans," "jaeger pilots hanging out with mechanics" and "I LIKE THE CAMARADERIE OF THE COMBINED WAR EFFORT" so I hope you like it! :D
> 
> This story takes place after the surviving Jaegers have been transferred to the Hong Kong Shatterdome, before Raleigh's arrival.

Mako answered a knock on the door of her quarters to find Aleksis and Sasha Kaidanovsky standing outside. To most people in the Shatterdome, the Kaidanovskys’ stoic faces revealed little, but Mako had known them long enough to notice that something was bothering them.

“Hello,” she said, opening the door wider. “Is something wrong?”

Aleksis crossed his arms. “They are putting lights on Cherno Alpha.”

Mako waited for Aleksis to continue, but he was silent, having said his piece.

Sasha added, “They said you told them to.”

Mako gave a small, tentative smile and nodded. “Yes. It is Jaegermas.”

Sasha and Aleksis exchanged a glance to see if the word meant anything to the other. Neither showed any sign of recognition. Sasha looked skeptical. “What is Jaegermas?”

“Come on,” said Mako, leaving her quarters and walking past the Kaidanovskys. “I will show you.”

The big Russians shrugged and followed. Sasha and Aleksis walked on either side of Mako.

Sasha said, “We did not have Jaegermas in Vladivostok. It is a celebration, right?”

Mako nodded. “It was invented by the first PPDC crews to give them all something to celebrate together.”

Aleksis scoffed. “So, other holidays were not good enough for them?”

“Everyone came from different traditions. If we were to celebrate any existing holiday, we would exclude those who celebrated all other holidays. So we created Jaegermas so that everyone in the PPDC could join.”

The main bay of the Shatterdome bustled with activity as the Jaeger crews strung lights on the giant machines. Mako and the Kaidanovskys stopped at Striker Eureka, which had lights wound around it from head to toe. The crews, led by the Wei brothers, was now painting slogans on the feet and legs of the Jaeger. As the people climbing on Striker were a mix of crews from various Jaegers, the messages were in Chinese, Russian, Japanese, and English.

“What are they doing?” asked Sasha.

“Writing messages on the Jaeger for the new year.”

Seeing the three of them looking up at the Jaeger, Cheung climbed down from Striker Eureka’s ankle and approached them. “Hello, Mako, Sasha, Aleksis.”

“Hello,” said Mako, bowing slightly. “I was just telling Sasha and Aleksis about the Jaegermas traditions. Would you like to tell them about what you are writing?”

“Messages of hope,” said Cheung, turning to the Kaidanovskys.

Aleksis scoffed, earning a quick, disapproving glare from Sasha, as though she were telling him to be polite.

She explained to Cheung, “Messages of ass-kicking would be more our style.”

Cheung grinned. “Ours too. Most of our hopes revolve around how we hope to kick kaiju ass!”

Sasha and Aleksis laughed. Sasha said, “I am surprised the Hansens are allowing you to write all over their Jaeger like that.”

Cheung shrugged, then pointed over at Cherno Alpha. “We always have pilots paint each other’s Jaegers. It shows goodwill and respect from pilot to pilot. The Hansens are painting messages on Cherno Alpha.”

Mako raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Are they?” She pointed over to Cherno and the crews gathered around her. Someone had set up a folding table and piled it with sweets and a punch bowl. Judging from the singing coming from the gathered crews, it wasn’t only punch in the bowl.

Cheung called up to his brothers. “Hey, look at what’s going on over there! Come on, let’s go check it out.”

Jin and Hu climbed down from Striker, followed by the various workers. Jin put his paintbrush and bucket down. “We could use a break. We’re way ahead anyway.”

Hu grinned and slapped his brothers on the shoulders, making sure to get paint on their shirts as they started across the floor.

When they reached Cherno Alpha, Herc Hansen waved them over and soon he and Chuck were pushing plastic cups into everyone’s hands. Aleksis and Sasha tasted it and smiled at each other. These Hansens made their kind of punch: they could barely taste the punch.

Herc pointed his thumb up at the lights strung on Cherno Alpha. “Well, what do you think?”

Sasha and Aleksis took a long look, then exchanged a glance. Aleksis raised his eyebrows at Sasha, his signal that he was leaving the response up to her.

“It looks good,” she said. She bared her teeth in a smile and made a fist that showed off the rings on her fingers. “Fierce.”

Aleksis grinned in response. “Nothing is as fierce as my Sasha! Perhaps I should put some lights on you.” He picked up a string of lights and looped it lightly around Sasha’s shoulders. She grabbed the string and playfully tugged him close for a kiss.

Mako raised her chin to indicate the pile of paint cans and unused paintbrushes nearby. “Maybe if you spent less time drinking and singing and more time painting, you would be farther along.”

Chuck raised his hands defensively. “It’s all part of the creative process.”

Sasha cocked an eyebrow at the young Australian. “Oh yeah? So what were you singing? I would like to know the traditional Jaegermas songs.”

“Well, uh…” began Chuck. “I don’t know about the traditional songs…”

Herc came to his son’s rescue. “The traditional Jaegermas songs are whatever you sing on Jaegermas. When you came over, we were just about to sing ‘Hotel California.’”

Mako smiled. “The well-known Jaegermas hymn!”

Chuck rolled his eyes. “Dad, I swear, you are so lame.”

Herc grinned at Mako and the Kaidanovskys. “‘Course I am, son,” he said, turning to Chuck. “I’m your dad.”

Aleksis leaned toward Sasha and whispered something in her ear. The only thing the others heard was the soft rumbling of his voice. Sasha turned to Mako. “Are you sure it is a good idea to have people climbing on Jaegers when they have been drinking?”

Mako looked around. “There should be someone keeping an eye on things to make sure everyone is being safe.” She turned to the Hansens. “Who is that today?”

Herc looked around. “Should be Tendo. Where’s he got to?”

Chuck pointed up. “I think he was up in the Conn-Pod earlier.”

Jin stepped forward. “We can check.” He climbed up onto Cherno’s foot and began to climb the Jaeger, with his brothers close behind.

“It’ll be faster if you take the elevator,” said Herc, and the Kaidanovskys and Mako took his advice.

When the elevator reached Cherno’s Conn-Pod, Mako led the way inside. There was a flurry of activity from behind one of the motion rig joints, and a moment later Tendo and a young woman stood up, tugging their clothing back in place.

“Oh hey,” said Tendo, trying to be as casual as possible about turning his shirt around because he had put it on backwards. “We were just… keeping an eye on things.”

Sasha and Aleksis burst out laughing. Aleksis gave Tendo a hearty slap on the back that nearly sent him sprawling. “Looks like you got an eyeful!”

Sasha looked around and proudly declared, “It wouldn’t be the first time for this Conn-Pod.” She turned back to Tendo. “So, who is this getting a tour of Cherno Alpha?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Kaidanovsky, I’d like you to meet Alison. Alison, these are Sasha and Aleksis Kaidanovsky, two of our best Rangers.”

Sasha took Alison Choi’s hand, and Aleksis followed suit. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Mrs. Kaidanovsky.”

“Please, call me Sasha,” she replied, radiating charm.

Tendo headed for the exit. “I guess I’d better get back to actually keeping an eye on things, right, Sasha?”

Sasha turned her head to look over her shoulder at Tendo. “To you, it is still Mrs. Kaidanovsky,” she snapped.

All color drained from Tendo’s face as he froze, but he relaxed when Sasha started laughing, followed by Aleksis, Mako, and Alison. “I am joking, Tendo! Come, Mako, let’s return to our tour.”

As they left the Conn-Pod, the Wei brothers were just reaching the top. Jin was the first, but Sasha playfully took away his victory. “If you want to win, next time take the elevator, and stop climbing all over my Jaeger!”

Back at floor level, Herc and Chuck had begun the effort of painting slogans on the lower parts of Cherno Alpha. The Kaidanovskys looked over them approvingly. Sasha had to translate a few of the more colorful Australian expressions for Aleksis, who found them hilarious.

From where he was painting Cherno’s shin, Herc called down to them, “Well, while you’re over here mucking about, Crimson Typhoon still needs to be decorated!”

“We’ll get to it once I’m done showing Aleksis and Sasha around!” Mako called up to him.

Tendo added, “Alison and I can get some people together and start on that, if you promise to stay safe up there and not climb too high.”

“Deal!” Herc replied. Tendo and Alison headed over to Crimson Typhoon while the Wei brothers returned to their work on Striker Eureka.

“The highlight of Jaegermas is when the whole Shatterdome comes together to share a meal together,” said Mako. “Come on, let’s see how preparations are going in the kitchens!”

As they neared the kitchens, Stacker Pentecost approached them. He was wearing an apron with the words “Grill Sergeant” across the chest. “Mako, do you have a moment? I believe there has been a Jaegermas security breach.”

Though there was no sign of humor on the Marshal’s face, Mako gave the Kaidanovskys a knowing wink. “I have a feeling we’re about to pay the K-Science lab a visit.”

Sure enough, Pentecost led the way to Newt and Hermann’s lab. The first thing they saw was that Hermann had set up a model train set to run all around the lab, with tunnels, hills, and crossings. The lab’s holographic projectors created three-dimensional images of several Jaegers and a large kaiju at various places in the room.

Pentecost nodded at Hermann. “Very impressive, Doctor Gottlieb. I see you’ve surpassed yourself.” He took a moment to take in the room. “Manila, I believe?”

Hermann’s face lit up. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

“And Newt,” Pentecost continued. “I was hoping you could help me with a mystery.”

Newt leaned on a gurney, trying to look nonchalant. Sasha and Mako shared a smile. “Yeah?” Newt asked. “What’s up?”

“I was just looking for half a glazed ham, two bottles of champagne, and a fruit salad. They were supposed to be part of our celebration tonight, but they seem to have disappeared. Would you know where I might find them?”

Hermann sighed audibly and rolled his eyes. “Newton…”

Sasha shook her head in mock disappointment. “Really, Newt. Those were for the Jaegermas celebration.”

“What?” Newt pointed to himself defensively. “It’s only fair. I always get left out of these things.”

“Oh no,” said Stacker Pentecost, massaging his temples with the forefinger and thumb of one hand. “Here it comes. Same thing, every year.”

Sasha waited for a moment, but Newt only watched her with a smile on his face. Mako, too, was smiling, though she was trying to hide it. Newt seemed to be waiting for something, so Sasha asked, “Why do you get left out?”

Newt beamed. “I don’t celebrate Jaegermas. I’m kaijuish!”

**Author's Note:**

> I received an illustration of this story from dandyincombatboots! [Check it out](http://dandyincombatboots.tumblr.com/post/155287758550/my-pacrimholidayswap-for-baronvonchop-inspired)!


End file.
